Book Review: The Ectoplasmic Man by Daniel Stashower

The Ectoplasmic Man
by Daniel Stashower
The Further Adventures of Sherlock Holmes

Titan Books
ISBN-10: 1-848-56492-9
ISBN-13: 978-1-848-56492-3
Publication Date: November, 2009
List Price: $9.95

Review: Have you read a good mystery recently? I have! The book, The Ectoplasmic Man by Daniel Stashower comes from The Further Adventures of Sherlock Holmes series. This book takes place in the late 1800’s in London, England. Harry Houdini is performing in London, and while there, he becomes a suspect in a recent theft of important letters concerning the Prince of Wales and another woman. These letters concern the private life of the future King of England. Bess Houdini visits 221 B. Baker Street because she fears someone from Houdini’s past means him harm.

Although Sherlock Holmes declines to aide in Houdini’s protection, Watson attends Houdini’s performance that night, on the behalf of Bess Houdini. Dr. Watson accidentally rescues Houdini from his water trap trick only to have Inspector Lastrade arrest Houdini. Just then, Sherlock Holmes reveals himself from the crowd, and promises then and there to prove Houdini’s innocence. He asks Houdini one favor - Do not escape from Scotland Yard until asked to, and Houdini gives his word he will wait.

This book manages to mix real life people with fictional events and characters. The book brings these two larger-than-life men together in a believable, enjoyable mix of adventure and dialogue. I enjoyed this book because it is an enthralling read that took me from the streets of London to the countryside of England. Daniel Stashower captured the essence of the greatest detective in his book. It felt as if Sir Arthur Conan Doyle himself wrote this book. Stashower did this by his use of dialogue and the descriptions of Victorian England. It felt as if I was actually there.

Having read The Hound of the Baskervilles, there is a distinct similarity between the writing styles of the two authors. I couldn’t tell The Ectoplasmic Man was written by someone more than 100 years later. There was nothing about this book to dislike whatsoever, in fact, I recommend this book to any reader - Sherlock Holmes fan or otherwise.

This book is part of a re-released series of Sherlock mysteries written by multiple authors. I look forward to reading the other books in the series - “The game’s afoot!”

Review written by Jonathan (6th grade student).

We would like to thank Titan Books for providing a copy of The Ectoplasmic Man for this review.

Have you read The Ectoplasmic Man? How would you rate it?

Book Review: Hunter Brown and the Consuming Fire by The Miller Brothers

Hunter Brown and the Consuming Fire
by The Miller Brothers
The Codebearers Series

Warner Press
ISBN-10: 1-59317-357-1
ISBN-13: 978-1-59317-357-9
Publication Date: September, 2009
List Price: $13.99

Review: Some books are simply meant to be read, but other books are worth talking about. In this 2nd book by the Miller Brothers, Hunter Brown experiences swords, arrows, and the mysterious flame. Hunter Brown and the Consuming Fire is a special book for all ages. Intriguing creatures like snarks, fangworms, and the Xin are only part of what is in this book. Hunter Brown, Trista Golden, and Bobby Bungle (Rob) are in high school and discovered a new world called Solandria, which put their lives in jeopardy.

After returning from his first trip to Solandria, Hunter Brown waits for a sign from the Author, who is the creator of all things and people. The Author saved Hunter from dying, although Hunter was never really alive in the first place. After Hunter meets Rob, a boy who has been to Solandria before, and Trista, Hunter’s sister’s best friend, then Faith, a Thunderbird, carries all three to Solandria. But when they get to Solandria, they learn that the Resistance is in trouble and only the flame can stop it. Philian, the newest captain, trains the three people to fight better. Trista later shoots a giant fangworm. Everybody tries to rescue Hope, a young girl who Hunter likes. Hope gets captured by the Shadow, which are the evil people and creatures. There is a surprise and shocking ending and you’ll have to read the book to find out for yourself.

The Miller Brothers made me want to keep reading on and on until I finished the book. This book kept my interest by having surprises on nearly every page. On a scale of 1 to 20 this book scores a 19 because of all the adventures. (The first book gets a 17.) I hope the third book gets a score of 20. The Hunter Brown series is now one of my favorite sets of books due to all the action inside. When Hunter receives a surprise at the end of the book, I wanted to find out what it was. Unfortunately, I will have to wait until fall to find out what happens to Hunter Brown. Can Hunter really save the Resistance or will it fall to the Shadow? Find out in September in the next installment in the series, For the Way of Truth and Life!!!!!!

Review written by Adam (6th grade student).

We would like to thank Warner Press for providing a copy of Hunter Brown and the Consuming Fire for this review.

Have you read Hunter Brown and the Consuming Fire? How would you rate it?

Book Review: The War of the Worlds by Manly W. Wellman & Wade Wellman

The War of the Worlds
by Manly W. Wellman & Wade Wellman
The Further Adventures of Sherlock Holmes

Titan Books
ISBN-10: 1-848-56491-0
ISBN-13: 978-1-848-56491-6
Publication Date: November, 2009
List Price: $9.95

Review: Alien movies are always the same. The aliens invade, and we attack back. But in this alien story we have a new weapon, Sherlock Holmes. In The War of the Worlds by Manly and Wade Wellman, Sherlock Holmes, along with his sidekick Dr. Watson, joined by Professor Challenger, lead the way to survive this alien invasion. Trust me; this won’t be like regular alien movies or books. This is only one book in the Further Adventures of Sherlock Holmes series that has been rereleased by Titan Books.

There are five parts to this book. In the first part Sherlock finishes a case and receives a mysterious egg. When he and his colleague Prof. Challenger look carefully at it they discover its true power. It is like a web-camera to an alien settlement on Mars. They study it for awhile then reports come of strange activity on Mars, and then a strange pod lands near London. In part two, it tells of Sherlock’s whereabouts during the invasion, including a scene where he encounters the person who lost the egg to Holmes. Part three and four tell of Prof. Challenger’s and Watson’s whereabouts during the invasion. Challenger and his wife travel to a bay to escape to France. His wife boards a ship when the aliens come in tripod walkers. One naval ship blasts two of the three, but gets destroyed. It proves the aliens aren’t invincible. Watson joins up with Holmes and Challenger at Baker St. They observe the egg and discover the aliens feed on humans by sticking ‘straws’ into the specimen and drinking the blood. When an alien comes, Challenger tackles it and Holmes injects it with a drug. Watson then deduces they die of Earth bacteria. Soon the rest die. In part five Holmes and the others use the crystal to teach the aliens and vice versa. Challenger’s assistant finds the source of the heat ray and has Watson touch it, but Holmes stops him. It would have killed Watson. The assistant is really a criminal. But he took notes from the aliens about impulses that explode atoms. Holmes burns them to save humanity from killing itself.

Overall Sherlock Holmes: The War of the Worlds deserves 5 out of 5 stars. First of all because it gives a new twist to alien stories. Also, it has suspense that will keep you reading. The alien’s technology was quite fascinating. The fact that it wasn’t like a full out world war made it easier to comprehend. But, since the alien pods only landed in England, it made it seem less like a usual alien story. Still, it was a good book and I recommend it and the rest of the series to mystery lovers.

Review written by Zach (6th grade student).

We would like to thank Titan Books for providing a copy of The War of the Worlds for this review.

Have you read The War of the Worlds? How would you rate it?

Book Review: Inspector Jacques by Darrel & Sally Odgers

Inspector Jacques
by Darrel & Sally Odgers
Jack Russell: Dog Detective

Kane Miller
ISBN-10: 1-935279-17-3
ISBN-13: 978-1-935279-17-4
Publication Date: March, 2010
List Price: $4.99

Review: The painting of the painter’s dog has gone missing! Inspector Cook and his French bull dog Jacques are on the case, but so is Jack Russell in the newest Jack Russell book Jack Russell Dog Detective Inspector Jacques. Preacher and Foxie only want treats. Jack doesn’t like Jacques acting su-paw-iear (superior for dogs) in his terrior-tory! (a Terrier’s territory) Jack Russell dog detective is on the case. Darrel & Sally Odgers did a great job on this book. Let’s find out what happens.

Jack and his junior jack preacher are minding their own business when Serge, their owner, needs to go to a meeting. So he takes preacher to the library and ties him to a bike rack. Then the dog-boggarts (little children) start to scare preacher so Jack is left alone in the house. There’s a noise and a strange man and a strange dog come in. Jack thinks their braking in so he attacks the dog. Jack loses and runs to warn Serge. Auntie Tidge comes out of the house. She tells Jack it’s just Inspector Cook. Jack runs to preachers rescue. Only to be tied up. Jacques and Cook come to help. Jack isn’t happy about that. So Inspector Cook unties them and brings them home. He lets Preacher in, but won’t let Jack in! So Jack must wait until Serge gets home. Serge gets home and lets Jack in. Inspector Cook says why he’s here. “I’m here on the case of the Painters dog.” For some reason Inspector Cook and his French speaking Jacques suspect Serge and his friends! Is he right? Is he wrong? Well, I’ll tell you! Wait… no I won’t, find out for yourself. Find out in Jack Russell Dog Detective Inspector Jacques.

Jack Russell Dog Detective also has: Dog Den Mystery, The Phantom Murder, The Mugged Pug, The Lying Postman, The Awful Pawful, The Sausage Situation, The Buried Biscuits, The Kitnapped Creature and The blue Stealer. The characters are great and add spice to an already spicy and sweet story. Serge does the human-type crimes. He’s nice and he’s forgiving. Jack deals with dog-type crimes. He’s protective of his terrior-tory, his friends and his family. Preacher is Jack’s son and is afraid of mean dog-boggarts. Inspector Jacques is a mean, suspicious French speaking French bull dog. He’s mean and suspicious on the outside, the inside is nice and he has a tender heart. It’s hard to get to the inside. Not only are the characters good, but the plot and setting is great too. It’s for younger children, but I loved it all the same. It’s heartfelt and has action. It’s a great story and… I give it five out of five stars.

Review written by Amanda (6th grade student).

We would like to thank Kane Miller for providing a copy of Inspector Jacques for this review.

Have you read Inspector Jacques? How would you rate it?

Book Review: The Scroll of the Dead by David Stuart Davies

The Scroll of the Dead
by David Stuart Davies
The Further Adventures of Sherlock Holmes

Titan Books
ISBN-10: 1-848-56493-7
ISBN-13: 978-1-848-56493-0
Publication Date: November, 2009
List Price: $9.95

Review: Sherlock Holmes is back in a completely new series of adventures! In this thrilling book, The Scroll of the Dead, he finds out that Sebastian Melmoth is on the verge of finding the key to immortality, Setaph’s Scroll of the dead. Can Holmes and Watson stop Melmoth before it is too late? Join Holmes and Watson in this fast paced adventure written by David Stuart Davies.

When Sherlock Holmes is called to investigate a murder at the Egyptian Museum, it is the start of a high-speed, mysterious case. He first tries to track down Sebastian Melmoth, but soon hears that he is dead. However, he knows it is not true. As he races against time to find the scroll of the dead, he finds many clues and other mysteries. When he reaches the Elms he finds the Scroll of the dead but so has Sebastian Melmoth. What will happen next? Well, read The Scroll of the Dead.

I think this is a fantastic book that Sherlock Holmes fans will devour! I would say it is for everyone, though it is a little confusing with all of the immense words, but that is part of the book’s charm. There are some scary scenes in this book, and there is a lot of violence weaved in the book. I would highly recommend it for kids in fourth grade all the way up. I think it is a truly well-written book that takes a lot of talent to write. I liked how it includes some Egyptian history with all of the vases that Holmes and Watson find. I also liked the beginning where it tells about the ancient scroll of the dead. Plus, the ending was great because it left me wanting more of the action and the adventures of Sherlock Holmes. I even think this book is worthy of a Newberry award because even though it doesn’t teach a lesson, it describes the themes and settings thoroughly and shows a lot of the characters talents and abilities. I think everyone should have a chance to read this wonderful book because it is so great.

Review written by Sheila (6th grade student).

We would like to thank Titan Books for providing a copy of The Scroll of the Dead for this review.

Have you read The Scroll of the Dead? How would you rate it?

Book Review: I So Don't Do Spooky by Barrie Summy

I So Don't Do Spooky
by Barrie Summy
Sherry Holmes Baldwin

Delacorte Press Books for Young Readers
ISBN-10: 0-385-73604-5
ISBN-13: 978-0-385-73604-6
Publication Date: December, 2009
List Price: $19.99

Review: As Sherry Holmes Baldwin (age 13) tries to balance the 7th grade, her boyfriend Josh, her best friend Junie, and a new step-mom, things start to get out of control. Since her mom had recently died, Sherry’s new mother is her language arts teacher, Paula, (a.k.a. the Ruler). But Sherry’s ghost mother gets enrolled into the Ghost Academy, and starts to compete in the Ghostlympics. The Ghostlympics are special events hosted by the Ghost Academy, such as lifting objects and animal control, for ghosts. The grand- prize is 5 minutes of Real Time, where a ghost can interact with a family member for 5 minutes, but the mortal will not remember any of it afterwards. Suddenly, weird things start to happen to the Ruler. Her keys show up in odd places, and her tires get slashed in mid-day with one of her own knives which were in the kitchen. Then, in the Robotics Practice Competition, the Donner Dynamo’s robot seems to be better than usual, in fact too good than it could have been before. The Ghost Academy asks for Sherry’s help on finding the Ruler’s stalker, which turns out to be a ghost as well. Will Sherry be able to stop him/her before he/she hurts one of Sherry’s loved ones? Find out in I So Don’t Do Spooky, by Barrie Summy.

I found this book to be fantastic! It put together the fantasy of ghosts along with the realistic life of a teenage girl to create an awesome clash of literature. Honestly, this book deserves a 5/5 star rating. It kept me on edge every chapter and kept me begging for more. I felt part of the story, as if I were at a movie and watching the scenes full screen in my head. Also, I was more interested in the story because ghosts are a topic I find to be eccentric and unexplainable. I was proud to own this book, because it is a story worth reading over and over and over again. I hope you feel the same way too. I’d like to give thanks to the author for creating an amazing book that continues to awe me to this day. I So Don’t Do Spooky is possibly one of the best books I have ever read.

Review written by Lynnea (6th grade student).

We would like to thank Random House for providing a copy of I So Don't Do Spooky for this review.

Have you read I So Don't Do Spooky? How would you rate it?

Book Review: February Friend by Ron Roy

February Friend
by Ron Roy
Calendar Mysteries

Random House Books for Young Readers
ISBN-10: 0-375-85662-5
ISBN-13: 978-0-375-85662-4
Publication Date: December, 2009
List Price: $4.99

Review: The Calendar Mysteries are back and better than ever! In this book there are four kids, Bradley, Brian, Nate, and Lucy. All these kids have been friends for a long time, and coincidentally so have all their older siblings. All of them are about the same age, but the author didn’t find it necessary to add the exact ages Now that the kids know what they are doing makes the story more interesting and the added in some life lessons here and there. To read February Friend you don’t need to have read the first book, January Joker.

On Valentine’s Day the Pinto boys will have to solve a mystery that is almost impossible to solve. What all happens on a normal Valentine’s Day became a fast paced, clue packed action book that is far more exciting than the last. When the kids find a valentine with no name on it and end up with a bunny that misses his owner so terribly he could just die, the Pinto boys end up trying to solve this case, but will they succeed? Will they find Douglas his owner before he dies? Or will this end a sad tale? You can find all this out in February Friend!

I enjoyed this book much better than the last. It had more action, suspense, and life lessons. It still lacks uniqueness in characters. What I mean by this is all the characters have too many similar traits that make the story less interesting. I guess it builds a better friendship, but that doesn’t necessarily make a better book. Plus, February Friend lacks important sensory details. Most definitely, February Friend is a book geared to early chapter book readers, probably under the age of 8. I look forward to seeing how the characters continue to develop in the next installment in March. And who knows maybe after one year worth of calendar mysteries the he will have them grow up a bit to help the younger reader transition to the A to Z Mysteries series.

Review written by Gabrielle (6th grade student).

We would like to thank Random House for providing a copy of February Friend for this review.

Have you read February Friend? How would you rate it?